About

In partnership with TakingITGlobal, Adobe supports a global network of creative youth development organizations that are working to ensure equitable access to creative education for youth ages 13 to 24. Creative youth development organizations help young people build their creative skills and prepare for success in school, life, and work.

Through Creative Cloud donations and small grants for hardware, projects, and collaboration, Adobe helps creative youth development organizations expand and/or deepen the creative opportunities that they provide youth in their communities. The Adobe Creative Catalyst Award honors outstanding creative youth development organizations within the network and fuels their innovation and thought leadership with a $50,000 USD grant for a project that takes their work to the next level. All grantees are invited to participate in knowledge sharing opportunities with peer organizations facilitated by Adobe and TakingITGlobal to build the collective capacity of the creative youth development field.

Creative Catalyst Award

$50,000 USD

The Adobe Creative Catalyst Award recognizes outstanding community-based youth organizations that support young people’s creative development and engage creativity as a force for positive youth development and social impact.

The Creative Catalyst Award includes a $50,000 USD grant for an innovative project that takes the organization’s work to the next level. Creative Catalyst students and young alumni also become eligible to apply for the Adobe Creativity Scholarship (provided they meet additional criteria).

Applications are due January 9th 2019. The 2019 Creative Catalyst Awards will be announced in February 2019. Awardees’ innovation projects must be completed by December 2019.

Project & Collaboration Grants

$5000 to $7000 USD

Project & Collaboration grants allow creative youth development organizations to implement a project or collaboration that expands or deepens the creative opportunities they provide youth.

Organizations may, for example, propose support for:

Collaborations with guest artists that introduce new media to the organization.

Visits to other creative youth organizations for collaborative projects and knowledge sharing.

Projects that enable young creators to increase the visibility and impact of their creativity in their communities and beyond.

Digital/distance collaborations with creative youth organizations in other cities or countries exploring a shared theme.

Partnerships with creative industries to expand creative career development opportunities.

Applications will be accepted February 2019 through June 2019. Applications received by the 15th of the month will receive a response by the 15th of the following month. Projects funded by the Project & Collaboration Grants must be completed by December 2019.

Hardware Grants

$2000 to $5000 USD

Creative youth development organizations may apply for a grant of $2,000 to $5,000 USD to access hardware needed for digital media projects. This could include computers, cameras, iPhones, iPads, 360 video cameras, drones, etc.

Organizations must demonstrate the hardware will be accessible to underserved youth in communities and spaces that they frequent.

Applications will be accepted December 2018 through June 2019. Applications received by the 15th of the month will receive a response by the 15th of the following month. Hardware must be purchased by November 2019.

Creative Cloud Licensing

Eligible organizations can be awarded licenses for up to 50 computers!

Applications are rolling and will be processed within one month of submission.

Organizational Eligibility for Software and Grants

Organizations must:

Be primarily dedicated to providing creative education to youth between the ages of 13 and 24 years old.

Be committed to digital media production as a creative art form and/or means for sharing artwork.

Engage creativity as a force for positive youth development and/or social impact.

Hold access and equity as a key dimension of their mission and programming.

Hold nonprofit status. Nonprofit organizations based in the United States should be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Organizations based outside the United States must be registered as nonprofits or charitable organizations in their local jurisdiction. Note: The application will require proof of tax-exempt status.

Have at least one paid, full-time employee on staff.

We cannot consider:

For-profit organizations

Individuals

Private foundations, donor-advised funds, or charitable gift funds

Churches and/or houses of worship that will use support for non-secular activities

Political organizations or organizations intervening in political campaigns

Organizations that do not meet Adobe's standards regarding discriminatory practices*

*Adobe and TakingITGlobal strive to create a pleasant, productive, and creative work environment for all employees. To that end, we are committed to providing a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment against any person on the basis of sex, age, race, color, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, gender identity or any other classification protected by applicable law. We want to partner with organizations that share these values with us.